This blog is dedicated to our Journalists for Rainwater Harvesting. They will report on examples of rainwater harvesting in their own countries and communities, helping us raise the profile of rainwater harvesting - both locally and globally.

Thursday 31 January 2013

Inspirational and Instructional books on RWH in India


Two books on catching the rain have recently been released in India – one a fun book to give inspiration and the other a more serious one that is instructional too.

Let’s catch the rain!
  

This 20 page colour picture book by Vinod Lal Heera Eshwer illustrates how easy it is to catch the rain and use it. Published in India by Tulika Books, it is available in English and seven Indian languages for Rs 65 (India shipping) or $USD 4.50 (International shipping) on the Tulika website.

To go with the book is an animation film Why catch the rain? and a rain catching game in which your score depends both on the raindrops you catch and those that go down the drain. 

Richa Jha’s review about the book clearly indicates that it is a book that everyone irrespective of age will enjoy.
“The message is so simple, it’ll give you goose bumps wondering why nothing is being done about it, panning across individual and state levels; the words and the solutions are so obvious, they’ll make you feel stupid for having to look into a book for them; the idea behind the book is so familiar and commonplace, you’ll wonder why it took us writers and editors and illustrators and publishers this long to take it to our kids in this direct a manner; the simplicity of this book is so endearing, it makes you salute the mind behind it; the impact of a book like this is so powerful, it makes you get up and check every single tap in your house – just in case. A book like this stops being just a book; share it with as many people as is possible – it is the blueprint for a safer, happier, healthier and more peaceful tomorrow. Give it in the hands of every human being; there will never be a WW III over water!”

Catch Water Where It Falls - Toolkit on Urban Rainwater Harvesting

This 172 page book by Gita Kavarana and Sushmita Sengupta is based on case studies of rain water implementation in various types of premises. These include independent residences, residential colonies and apartments, schools, hospitals, government buildings, places of worship, industries, hotels, shopping complexes, sports complexes, urban lakes and wells. It also serves as a guide (a toolkit as the title says) to help you design and implement a rain water harvesting system in your premises.

Published in India by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), it is available in English for Rs 595 (India shipping) or $USD 38.00 (International shipping) on the CSEIndian Store and CSDGlobal Store

Happy rain water harvesting!